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India’s triumphant T20 World Cup marketing campaign ended a 17-year drought after India’s shock win within the inaugural ICC World T20 in 2007. Hindsight tells us that the 2007 version was as momentous an occasion in cricket historical past as another; it kick-started the IPL and the still-burgeoning franchise cricket phenomenon. The 2024 match might not have the identical revolutionary impression, but it surely has nonetheless sparked a spiritual fervour that has adopted the Indian crew from the US, to the Caribbean, all the way in which to a parade on Marine Drive in Mumbai, in entrance of 300,000 exultant followers.
The veritable pilgrimage was yet one more stark reminder of the twelfth participant that perennially accompanies the Indian nationwide crew onto the sphere: a assured parochial “house” crowd, regardless of the venue. Although cricket is probably one of many few sports activities the place a “house benefit” doesn’t merely imply a supportive crowd, it’s apparent the ocean of blue that washes over India video games performs an unlimited function, notably in ICC tournaments the place most groups play on impartial territory.
(Supply: Flickr)
Spare a thought too, for many who might not have been celebrating with fairly a lot enthusiasm. For every time cricket takes (much more) centre stage in India, so too do different sports activities stoop in collective disappointment. Not for a scarcity of patriotism, after all, however from a singular, all too acquainted thought: when will they have a good time me?
To these in India who comply with a number of sports activities, the dichotomy is painfully apparent: that India might have a cricket tradition, but it surely doesn’t have a sports activities tradition. It’s a peculiar state of affairs for a nation that participates in a comparatively big selection of sports activities, albeit with various levels of success. Sports activities tradition
Amongst the cautious detractors is former world primary in badminton, Saina Nehwal, certainly one of comparatively few family names amongst “different” Indian sports activities. “Generally, we really feel so dangerous cricket will get that sort of consideration, as a result of should you see badminton, basketball, tennis and the opposite sports activities are so robust bodily. You don’t even have time to select up the shuttle and serve, and a sport like cricket will get that sort of consideration the place I believe personally, talent is extra essential than stamina or agility,” says Nehwal.
Nehwal admits that she, too, loves cricket. However as she notes, “it’s a must to give that sort of consideration to different sports activities in order that India can grow to be a sporting nation and compete with China for 60 Olympic medals.”
With the BCCI saying an astonishing AUD$22 million bonus prize cash for the victorious Indian squad, it’s little shock that, as Nehwal laments, aspiring athletes in India overwhelmingly favour cricket over different sports activities. In actual fact, a single IPL contract might simply earn an Indian cricketer – male or feminine – greater than they’d in a whole profession enjoying one other sport at a nationwide stage.
Neeraj Chopra. (credit score : BFI Twitter)
With the Paris 2024 Olympics Video games as a result of begin later this month, Indian Olympians will likely be respiration a sigh of reduction. That’s as a result of by then, the mud can have principally settled on the T20 World Cup, and India’s athletes will be capable to revel within the occasional limelight that’s rationed to them.
However whether or not the limelight lasts lengthy sufficient to make a distinction is the true query. In spite of everything, the Tokyo 2020 Video games unearthed gold-medallist javelin-thrower Neeraj Chopra, with medals additionally in weightlifting, wrestling, badminton, boxing and subject hockey. Which of the opposite six medallists are you able to recall?
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